The Flame
by Sofia Lawrence
Summary: Trapped in a fiery pit for hundreds of years.  Edward is literally under a curse.  Alice is throwing women at him, but will he ever beat the Flame? Post-apocalyptic world.  BxE
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Twilight isn't mine...obviously.**

**BPOV**

The Flame rose above the town years and years ago. Before my grandfather's grandfather was born, and yet still I have always wished to see it come down. They same the Flame brings luck to our village, and yet I still wish to enter it and destroy it from within.

Maybe that will be my downfall.

My father, a mere peasant, decided years ago that I was to marry for love, like he did. Never mind the fact that my mother left him heart-broken and without a name. He loved her, and he told me I would need to experience that before I wed.

I would have married the suitor with the best family otherwise.

Yet none of my suitors had even come close to inspiring in me the passion I felt just from looking up into the Flame at night. And none of them came close to making me feel as I did when I touched myself while thinking of the man in the Flame.

I was not pure. Like many of the females around me I pretend to blush when a man insinuates anything impure, but to be honest a woman cannot know how she feels if she hasn't been with the man. Anyways, my father has always been open, and there is not a man in town who would deny me simply because I have lost my maiden head.

The man in the Flame is the talk of the town. He has been for generations. Every now and then a woman is sent and she is given over to the one who sees. According to legend there is but one who can bring the Flame down. That day is both anticipated and feared.

The town has grown accustomed to the Flame. He watches over us. Our nights are not as dark as they used to be. The legends reach back much further than any memory, and the nights used to be long and horrible filled with creatures that killed and other evil deeds, but that was before the Flame came along and changed all of that.

The Flame brought with it two things: the seer and peace. The seer may have brought the peace, but it is synonymous with the Flame. The seer built the Bell Tower. The bell tower is how the Flame is accessed. The seer sends women into the Bell Tower, one has never come out. I don't know what to believe. I only know the feelings which the Flame inspires in me are mine alone. I have talked to Angela, Jessica, and Lauren. Not one of them has felt the things I feel for the Flame.

I know one day I will need to submit myself to the seer, but not a single woman has ever returned, and the Flame has yet to come down. I do not wish to die so young. I feel as though living in this torment however is not living.

**APOV**

I love my brother, but seriously he needs to find the right girl. He is so goddamn stubborn. I swear I look up at his fortress and I realize that sending in woman after woman has not been good for him. He needs the right one. He needs someone who can tame him and not drive him crazy at the same time.

He needs someone to get under his skin.

Edward was always so stubborn. I have given up my day life to watch over him, but my nights are devoted to Jasper.

When I look ahead, I keep seeing a black spot. I need to talk to Jasper about all this. I can't see anything past a few weeks from now. I only go to the future in my mind when I am watching Edward. If I did it at other times. I would lose myself completely to the future. It is such a nice place sometimes.

I still am in awe about the beginning...how could Edward have broken a girl's heart, and why did it have to be Tanya Denali's.

**EPOV**

I was not new to this world. I had lived here for a long time, and well I had lost touch with humanity. Alice liked to call me a heart breaker, but I honestly didn't know how to survive any other way. She called it living, but honestly, was it? Was this living? I was tortured everyday. I had a to make a horrific choice, I had to choose between living and killing. I had to take lives to survive. It was not living, it was merely existing. That is until we found out about the animals.

Animals had always smelled bad, worse than humans really, but their blood is enough to abate the thirst. It is enough, but just barely. It is a difficult switch for any Vampire to go from human to animal blood, but I chose that the moment I found out it was possible to exist without killing.

I started trying to live once I had nearly conquered my battle with thirst.

I started to interact with people. I made friends. I had girlfriends.

This was during the height of the human civilization. The land had not been destroyed by nuclear fallout, and human civilization was advancing faster than ever, but my actions, and mine alone were about to change that.

I mentioned the girlfriends part. I had girlfriends, multiple girlfriends at the same time.

I was a ladies man. They loved me and I loved them and their glorious bodies. I had never actually loved a woman the way Jasper loves Alice, but I had given them pleasure, and they had given me pleasure as well.

The biggest mistake of my life was to assume that Tanya Denali would love me like everyone woman I had made mine in the last few decades. Tanya had power. I had not known how much until it was far too late. She had a great gift though, and she wanted me for herself.

I was too much in love with myself to notice her more than any of the other women so when she asked me as they all did to start dating her and her alone of course I told her what I always said. "It would be my pleasure."

Had I known that this sentence would literally have brought the world to an end I wouldn't have said it. I would have been more upfront about it, but that's life. I thought I was invincible, but she was so powerful, so ingenious as well.

Tanya Denali was a full fledged witch. Now we don't hear much about witches in my world because most of them are just little girls with what appears to others to be really amazing luck, but not Tanya Denali. Tanya Denali could literally make anything happen with a thought. And she knew it.

Only the most powerful evil witches can know their power, and that was the problem with Tanya Denali she knew her power.

It wasn't long before she figured out that I was a Vampire. She realized I would live forever, and then she realized my ability. She realized I could read minds, and suddenly she was power hungry. I never actually figured out how she had managed to figure out my secret. Something in her ability must have allowed her that, but it was impossible to dissuade her from wanting this. She wanted to become a Vampire, and there was no way I wanted her to turn.

"Edward, you will turn me. I have ability beyond your imagination and if you don't turn me I will get someone else who can."

I told her I'd think about it, and then I fled. I ran from Tanya and went as far as the earth would allow me, but I didn't stay hidden for long. A year at most later Tanya found me, and her eyes were a deep ruby red.

She was beautiful in the way all Vampires are inhumanly beautiful, but she was evil, pure evil, and that shone through all of her beauty.

"Edward, you have betrayed me. You made me find another source of venom, and now you will pay. You will pay for eternity."

It was seconds later that Tanya Denali encased me in a fiery rage. I was enclosed in fire, and there was no pain, but no way of escape without it. I was stuck, and only through one small slot in the wall of fire could I see anything.

Alice appeared in the slot moments later. She had seen it of course, and she went about finding a way to get me out.

There was one thing about a witches powers, they always contained a loophole.

Alice went about finding this loophole, but in the process Tanya created a nuclear war.

The war was just as every doomsayer had always predicted, it was as if the sky was falling. I was trapped in my ring of fire. Nothing could touch me. I was protected by my eternal cell, and there is not a day that goes by that I do not wish the fires had engulfed me and killed me.

The nuclear war had killed Tanya. She had immeasurable power. She could level cities with her mind, but she could not control her thirst. She could not find a way out, and that was what she wanted. She was a witch and her wish was her command. She wished to go out with a bang, and suddenly there was no Cuban Missile Crisis, the hot line was forgotten. War broke out. Nuclear war, which killed almost everything in existence.

Alice told me of the people who survived they were not able to bring society back up to its former gory. They lived like savages. the ones who had known how to build things had died. The ones who were left were the farmers, the country folk. They knew how to exist, but they didn't know how to build an ipod or telephone service. They knew how to build and grow food. So technology went back a few hundred years.

The people who were left didn't even want to progress it seemed. They had learned that progress only led to extinction.

Villages started popping up, and even though Tanya had died she had not given me that option. She had left me in a pit of fire that would literally burn for eternity. And inside it I would sit for eternity while I thought and thought. I tried to remember exactly what I did that destroyed the whole world and I realized I was a whore.

Had I been faithful or celibate none of this would have happened.

So I decided I was going to change my ways if I ever found a way out of here.

Then one day Alice returned to speak with me.

"I found it. I found it. I found the key!" She always did have too much enthusiasm.

"Well how are you going to get it to me?" She looked confused at my statement.

"The key? How are you going to get it here?"

"Silly. I don't actually have a key. I just have a clue. I know how to get something to you though. I need some time though."

"A clue?" I was thoroughly confused.

"Yes. I found out that fire is used as a symbol for passion. I am almost 100% certain if you can feel a passion that is hotter and more fiery than the fire itself it will allow you through unscathed."

"Alice that is by far the cheesiest thing I have ever heard."

"You try scouring a post-apocalyptic world for clues about ancient myths that no one believed."

"Another thing Alice. How am I supposed to feel any sort of passion that is hotter than fire."

She smirked. "Let me take care of that."

About a week later there was a building that resembled a bell tower across from my viewpoint. I knew it hadn't been there before, and it confused me, but it just seemed to be there the next time I spoke with Alice.

"What is that thing?" Referring to the obtrusive sight.

"It is a portal. It should allow something into that fiery pit you call home."

"What?"

"I found something from the past I believe it to be Tanya's and she seemed to have devised a portal that allowed things in but not out."

"Why did she go through the trouble of doing this?" I still couldn't fathom it.

"Because you scorned her. You denied her and she was too powerful to accept that. She was strong willed if nothing else."

Alice simply sent in a cow. I couldn't understand it, but any desire for blood I had was gone. I wasn't human that much was clear due to the undying and not aging business, but my thirst was gone. I hadn't noticed until now, but now I had a cow and I had nothing to give her. I told Alice not to send anymore animals, but that she should send some food for this poor cow.

Alice was confused as to why I wasn't eating the cow, and I tried to explain to her, but after living with the torment for so long I could understand how it would be difficult to understand that I would not need blood. Alice sent something to feed the cow, but the cow did not need to eat either. The cow and I both lived in the fires, but neither of us seemed to need anything to survive. Alice was confused.

I named the cow Sally. She was nice, and I talked to her all the time because I was lonely. She and I became friends, or as much of friends as you can be with an immortal cow. Sally was cool though. She would huff and nod in all the right places, but eventually I ran out of things to tell Sally that's when Alice got the brilliant idea to send in the women.

I don't know what happened, but one day it was like I was being assaulted. Apparently a town had sprung up in the light of my Flame, and they had sent some women up at Alice's request. The first one I saw repulsed me so much I through her into the fire depths. I couldn't stand to look at her. Sally thought it was funny. Alice scowled.

The women came one after another and some would take one look at me and throw themselves at me, and then generally came the too hard shove into the fire. There were some who jumped into the fire on accident as if they couldn't see it at all. It wasn't long before Alice gave up hope and only sent very beautiful very promising women. The problem was they weren't the one for me. I don't know who was damned enough to be meant for me, but I would know when I saw them. I wouldn't push them into the fire.

I actually tried to have sex with one of the girls Alice through into me. We were about to come and suddenly she was gone. I realized I had actually taken her to the edge and she had burned without me even noticing. That was the farthest I had gotten, and I felt sorry for these women, but I could do nothing else. This space was big enough for me and Sally, but if a woman wanted to be in here she would have to be someone I could literally be around forever.

I had a feeling I was going to be stuck here for a very long time.

**AN: I want to know what you think of the new story line. I haven't written much more of it, but I got a kind of plan in my head. It will probably be a pretty short story to be honest. Let me know what you think and how you think I can improve this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Twilight isn't mine... if it was would I be writing here or making soooo much money?**

**BPOV**

Everyday I yearn to go to the Flame. I know he is mine. He is waiting, and yet no matter who goes up there not one returns. I cannot expect myself to be the exception, but some one has to be. It isn't possible that the Flame would literally be stuck forever.

I may be young and naive, but the Flame cannot go on forever alone. He will go mad, if he hasn't already. I am afraid though. I wish to live a long prosperous life, and going into the Flame is almost sure death, unless the impossible happens.

"Bella, what's up?"

"Hey Jake. I was just thinking." I couldn't betray Jake by going to the Flame, I just couldn't.

"Thinking of what? What's on your mind?" He was so good, and I wish I could love him the way he loves me.

"Live, love, and happiness." He smiled so huge.

"I think they all go together very well." He had totally mistaken whatever it was I had said. I had no idea how to respond, but luckily with Jake you normally don't have to respond.

"Bella, I was wondering, what do you think you are doing this weekend?" He was going to ask me out, again. Whoopee.

"Nothing really." Actually I was going to stare at the Flame until I got the courage up to go to the seer.

"So would you want to come to my house for dinner, maybe go for a walk?" He was definitely asking me on a date, and the way he said walk made it seem like we would be doing more than walking.

"I don't know Jake. I have had a pretty hectic week (total lie) and I wanted some rest this weekend." His fallen face nearly crippled me with guilt. I couldn't help the fact that I was not attracted to him in the slightest.

"Oh, well it would be pretty low key, but if you don't want that then fine. We can do it some other time." I couldn't help but feeling like a bitch.

"You know what Jake I can maybe just stop by at some point on Saturday, but not for long. We could just hang out, play a card game or something."

"That would be awesome!" Jake was like a little kid sometimes.

"Yeah see you then. I really should head home Charlie will be worrying by now." Again total lie.

I walked home slowly, and when I got home Charlie was no where to be seen. I started making dinner. I went with one of Charlie's favorites, Fettuccine Alfredo. I had about twenty minutes to go when Charlie got home.

He went to change after a hard day of work. My father kept crime out of our village as best he could. He found people who hurt or stole from others. He was very good at it. His father and his father's father had all done the same. The village needed protecting and my father was the sheriff.

My father cam downstairs just as I was finishing. He set the table and I ladled our pasta into a couple of bowls and set them down at the table.

Our table fit four people. My father and I sat across from each other. It was a little awkward looking sometimes, but my mother had always sat in between us and we held the same positions probably because my father always held the hope that she would be back.

Renee. That was my mother's name. She had loved my father very much, but they had no money and no name so they were stuck in the same position, but Phil Dwyer, he had a name and money, and my mother was too attracted to the shiny glory of it all. She left us all alone, and nearly broke my father's heart. I was just young enough to not remember everything, but old enough to remember my mother's face and my father's despair.

I often thought about what life would be like if Renee had taken me with her. Charlie would have committed suicide long ago, and I wouldn't have been able to live with that, but Dwyer was a name everyone knew. My mother was living the high life that for sure.

"So Bella anything interesting happen today?" Charlie trying to make small talk.

"Well I was hanging out with Jacob, I am going to hang out with him on Saturday. I think he has impure intentions, but I don't think of him that way." I always went with full truth with Charlie.

"If you don't like him tell him, don't lead him on it will only hurt him more." Charlie knew from experience.

"I have told him, but he doesn't seem to get it."

"Yes, well then you have nothing to be ashamed of." He was thinking about Renee now, and he was going to be depressed for a while.

"This is delicious Bella." He said after a long silence, not awkward just peaceful.

"Thanks Dad." I always called him Dad after I had been thinking of Renee.

"I am going to go up to my room. I hope you can handle the dishes." He never touched anything in the kitchen per my request.

"Yeah Dad got it. Have a good night!" I tried to put as much enthusiasm into it as possible. My father had attempted suicide a few years ago, but he was doing much better now, he just got sad sometimes.

After cleaning the kitchen I went to my room.

The windows in my room face three directions. Out of two of them you can see the Flame. I loved to look up at him. I had imagined him many different ways before, and each person was more beautiful then the next. There is no reason an ugly man would be confined to a fiery pit.

In the darkness of the night I touched myself. I pictured the Flame over me and taking me forcefully with the fiery will he must have, and I came so hard I might have screamed, but Charlie was too lost in his thoughts of Renee to think anything of it.

That night I slept soundly underneath the light of my Flame.

The next day was Friday. I was bored, and hoping for a miracle. I was supposed to go with the women to some ceremony, but it seemed mind numbingly dull. We were to learn the art of dance. I was terribly clumsy and had no desire whatsoever to learn to dance.

It was called fortnightly for some reason known only to God. I had to find my gloves, and I changed in view of the Flame. I prayed for the strength to go to him. I wanted nothing more than to go to him, but it was too frightening hopefully God would help me.

The walk to fortnightly was torturous. I dreaded each step even more so than usual. I walked into the dance studio, and I shook with a violent shiver. I was warm though. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.

I wasn't too horrible today, except at one point when I was partnered with this man named James, and I just couldn't shake the feeling that he was too cold, and too stiff, while at the same time he was too poised. I became even clumsier, and the look he gave me was what one would give a nice juicy piece of steak.

I sat out for a few dances after that, and when the end came I bolted out of there like a bat out of hell.

As I was walking home I closed my eyes, and suddenly my feet weren't taking me home anymore. I wasn't walking towards home. I was walking towards the bell tower. I was going to the seer, and I wasn't going to stop myself. This time I was going to do it.

**AN: So let me know what you think. Leave a review, and tell me what you think the post-apocalypse world that wiped out all cities would and wouldn't have.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:Twilight isn't mine... news flash.**

**APOV**

I always loved to meet the new Edward lovers. There were three types I had grown to realize: beautiful girls who thought they were better than everyone else, ugly girls who thought this was their last chance, and mean girls who no one wanted to be with. Without fail, all of the women who had come to this bell tower had been one of these three. I loved it. I would be super nice to each of them and not mourn one bit when I saw the flames fire up in one section of Edward's little prison. I never mourned their passing.

I was a little bored though. 400 years and still nothing was Edward just that picky? I didn't get it he just needed to feel a fiery hot passion for some girl. Although the pickings were slim recently. Most of the townspeople were frightened by the Flame, and the women did not risk it as easily as they used to.

It was quite a surprise when Bella walked in.

Bella, did not fit into any of my previous categories, while she was beautiful she obviously didn't realize it. She was not ugly enough to think that no one would ever have her, and she wasn't a mean little bitch. I liked her, and it was the first time I considered not sending someone to Edward. I didn't want to see the Flame ignite in a spot. I didn't want to have to deal with the pain of knowing I caused Bella's death because I honestly liked her, and I wanted to be her friend.

Bella was wavering. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go into the Flame.

"Hello? Seer? Umm... is anybody here?"

"Oh sorry didn't see you there. I'm Alice. I am only called seer in the legends. Nice to meet you Bella. I have seen you come here a couple of times now glad to see you finally made up your mind."

"Sorry if I was bothering your... um... visions?"

"Bella, Bella, Bella it really is no problem. I was just joking with you, but serioulsy how long has it been since you first thought of treking up here? Years?"

"Yeah, three years ago. I started...um."

"No need to explain anymore I think. Anyways Edward is like my brother so yeah I don't want to here about anything nasty."

"Edward?"

"Yeah Edward is the Flame. He is really sweet, and I think he is going to like you, but I want to make sure you are ready first."

"Ready? Is there like a test or something I need to take?"

"No I just want to make sure that you know what you are doing. No one has ever survived being in Edward's cell. I want you to be sure there isn't anything left for you here."

"Alice, can I be honest with you?"

"Of course you can Bella."

"Alice, I have been thinking of coming to the Flame for three years because He is all I can think about. I am no virgin. I have had my fill of men, and they are alright, but something inside me is telling me that the Flame is my destiny, Edward, is my destiny."

"Well, Bella, that is the best reason any of the women who have come up here have ever given me for wanting in. I just want to warn you that I cannot get you out of the Flame. I can send you in, but there is no way to get out unless you and Edward are destined for each other. Also, he might accidentally kill you. I know that sounds horrible, but he had never intended to kill any of the women who had entered into the Flame before, they all were consumed by the fire."

"I know Alice. I have known a few of the women who dared to enter the Flame. Is he attractive?"

"Edward? Well, he is sort of like my brother, but if you are into broody and dark then I guess. I like my Jasper better."

"You have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah why do you sound so shocked?"

"None of the legends ever mention the seer having a boyfriend. I assumed you were always at the tower, and therefore had no time for boys."

"Sweety I am a seer. If someone is coming I will be here. You have had me waiting here many a nights when you did not show up."

"Sorry, again."

I really felt bad, but this time there was no alternate future for Bella I saw her go into the Flame, but just like every other woman here future was dark afterwards, not dark as in dead, but dark as in I had no idea what was going to happen. "Its no problem, so are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

I told Bella to step into the portal then. It was a complicated design that I had to build from something I had found that belonged to Tanya, God I hated her. She had gone through so much trouble to make Edward miserable when really he had done her a favor.

As Bella stepped in I flipped the lever. I knew she would be gone in a second so I gave her one last piece of advice.

"Make him come to you." I said to her as she was leaving. She looked completely flummoxed and was about to say something, but then she was gone. I quickly left to find Jasper, I needed to tell him of Bella.

**BPOV**

The teleportation was amazing. It was like I did not exist for a moment, and then I suddenly existed again. It was an amazing experience, although I am not sure if I would be up for doing it again. That is assuming I survived this.

I had done it. I had finally done it. I had gone to the Flame. It took me a few seconds to realize that not only was I still closing my eyes, but also I was a doing a slight happy dance. I quickly opened my eyes. It took me a few more seconds to stop my happy dance, but once I did I saw the most beautiful creature on earth.

Edward, that's the name Alice had said. Edward was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. His hair was a golden brown, with red in it. I just wanted to grab onto it, but I didn't think that would be appropriate.

His hair was the first thing that caught my eyes but shortly thereafter I saw his eyes. His eyes were a bright green. There was no mistaking them they sucked you in with their depth, and of all the things about this Flame, the most beautiful thing about him had to be his eyes.

His body was amazing don't get me wrong. Even in clothes that didn't seem quite right he still looked more amazing than anything I could ever have imagined. I was about to walk forward. I just wanted to touch him, but then Alice's voice rang out clear as day in my head, "Make him come to you."

I hadn't understood it at the time, but now I got it. I wasn't supposed to make the first move. I was supposed to wait for him to come to me. I just hoped he would soon. So I did what any person who is trying not to go forward does. I promptly sat down right where I was in the center of this ring of fire.

**EPOV**

I was very confused to say the least. This woman had just come into my circle of fire, and unlike the rest of them she hadn't thrown herself at me instead she had just plopped herself, rather ungraciously I might add, into the middle of my home.

I looked at Sally, which caused the woman to look at Sally, and I exchanged a look that clearly said "What the fuck?"

I was so confused. The woman started laughing, and I was even more confused.

"I'm sorry, but who the hell are you?" I said to the woman who was laughing like a maniac in my home.

"I'm Bella, and you're Edward I presume."

"Nice to meet you." Now I was very confused. I was naturally attracted to this girl by a force so much greater than mere looks, but I couldn't bring myself to act upon it.

"Likewise." She wasn't saying much, and I looked at Sally trying to get her opinion of the girl, but she was little help as she gave me a confused look as well.

"If you don't mind my asking what's with the cow?"

"Long story." I didn't want to get into the details about being a Vampire and what not, I was confused I hadn't had this much conversation with anyone besides Alice in, I don't even know how many years. I feel like I had lost the capacity to small talk.

"So why are you stuck in here?" She was clearly doing all the legwork in order to keep the dialogue flowing, and it wasn't working.

"Long story." She was going to think I couldn't say anything else at this rate.

"Ok... so tell me something about yourself, even if it is a long story. I need to hear something or else I am going to be stuck in here with you for eternity." She had a point.

**AN: So let me know what you think of their meeting, Alice and Bella and Edward and Bella. Also, just review so I know what I am doing right/wrong.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Wow, time flies. I have missed this, and this was a difficult one to write. I am hoping the next one will come out sooner. Let me know what you think reviews are my motivation.**

**BPOV**

I was freaking out. I had no idea what to do. I kept asking all these questions, and all The Flame, I mean Edward, seemed to be able to say was long story, and I was starting to worry. Maybe this was a mistake. I really don't want to burn up here. I don't want to end up like all the other women. I thought I was different, but I guess all the others did too. I wished I could step back in time and stop myself from doing this, but I couldn't. I looked back, and saw nothing. I thought I would have seen Alice, she was there when I left, but she probably left. I mean maybe she thought we might need some privacy or something.

He started talking, actually talking and I was so mesmerized by the way his mouth moved that I almost forgot to listen to what he was saying, almost.

"Well I was born long before the big nuclear explosion. I guess you could say that makes me a very old man, but really I am still more or less exactly seventeen or so. I have been trapped in here since before the explosion, but not by much. I was put in here by a woman who I didn't pay enough attention to. I guess that all sounds pretty weird, huh?"

"What explosion? Nuclear?"

"Oh fuck really? You don't know? Do any of you guys?"

I was so confused I could only shake my head. Edward, was very confusing. I still felt the pull to him, but I wanted to talk to him more than anything else at this point.

"Oh wow, so you don't have any idea what I am talking about? You guys don't learn the history of the great society of man? Nothing?" Edward was so confusing.

"Our history only goes a few generations back. We know of our grandfather's grandfather's history, but nothing more. We don't need to know anything more. We are fine as we are. We do not know of any great society of man, or whatever."

"But the technology, the power, everything, gone?"

"Edward, technology and progress is only seen as destruction. You are the Flame, you brought peace and a final end to war. I thought you of all people would understand."

I couldn't fathom a world where technology wasn't seen as the terrible horrible thing it was, but apparently that is the world from which the Flame came.

"Wow, I guess Alice just left out a lot when she was talking to me."

He looked at the cow again, and again I was struck with how odd it was. "So Edward, either I am stuck with you for all of eternity or one of us burns up here, so why not tell me what the hell is up with that cow?"

Edward looked at the cow and back at me and then he started.

"Well, Sally, that's her name, was sent to me by Alice. Alice thought I was going to need to eat when I was up here, but in case you haven't noticed you don't need to, not at all." As he said it I realized I felt no hunger, no cold, no heat, not even tired as it was the middle of the night, or I thought it was at least.

"Why would she send you a live animal instead of a nice warm meal?"

"Well, that's the long story part. You see before I was put in the Flame I wasn't 100% human per se. I don't even know if the legends and myths still exist, but do you know anything about Vampires?" He looked at me expectantly, but I was just confused again.

"Va... what?" He looked almost relieved.

"Vampires, they are humans who have changed so that they require blood as opposed to food. Most people in my time thought they were a myth, but I happened to be one, and I survived off of animal blood."

"Ewwwww. Did some Vam... whatevers eat people?"

"Yes." The dead tone he said it with made me shudder.

"Oh." I was almost frightened of him.

"So, Alice sent you some food, that was why you got this cow, I mean Sally." Sally moo'ed happily when she heard her name. I was starting to like her. "So Alice is a vampire too?"

"Yes. She is essentially my sister."

"Your sister?"

"Well, not by blood, but we have this family you see. Carlisle is like the dad, and his mate Esme, and then there is Alice and Jasper, and Rosalie and Emmett. We all make up a family kind of."

I nodded along as if I understood, but Edward was just naming a bunch of names. I guesses they were all those Vampire-y things, but that just felt so weird.

"That's interesting, but where are all of them, I mean why are only you stuck in here?"

"Well, that's where this becomes a little unbelievable. You see, I kind of made a girl angry and she trapped me here for all eternity. She then proceeded to blow up the entire world."

"Oh so you are a jerk basically." Why oh why did I ever come up here again?

"Well, I was, but not anymore. Now I think I realize that I need to treat women as if they were worth something. It took me a long time to get there though."

"Well I think that seems perfectly reasonable, but you would be the first man I have ever met that treated women as anything more than an object. They all treat me as if I am just a possible wife. Ugh I hate that. I wish I had grown up in a world with guys like you. Guys who understand that women can do stuff for themselves, and that we are not all a bunch of damsels in distress."

I realized I was getting a little aggravated so I closed my eyes and tried to count to ten.

One, two, three

"You are the first women to ever wish there were more men like me. I assure you." I was completely shocked by the sadness I saw on his face.

I was confused because normally people would be happy that someone was complimenting them, but he seemed too full of demons to appreciate that I was here, and that I was not burning up. I wished I could go to sleep. Or that I could at least pretend to be tired, but this fucking flame had amazing abilities, and right now they fucking sucked.

Some time passed. I had no idea how much. I watched Edward, I day dreamed. I pretended to sleep, and I pet Sally. Nothing exciting, but Edward just kept getting jumpier and jumpier. It was like he was extremely uncomfortable with people in general, or maybe it was just me.

Sally mooed and Edward jumped. It was getting annoying. "Edward, what is wrong? Why are you so jumpy?"

"Sally has never mooed before, ever. I am sorry she just surprised me."

"Have you ever pet her?"

"Well, no, I guess not."

"Edward are you telling me that Sally has been here for God only knows how many years, and she has not been touched in all that time?"

"Well, I didn't even want a cow. Alice sent her in as a meal, but obviously I don't need to eat."

"Edward, come pet your cow. She is your friend I can tell that you guys talk sort of. I see the looks you give her when you think I am not looking so get over here and pet her."

"Fine." He huffed, he legitimately huffed.

When Edward came over, Sally looked really excited and smiled, or did the closest thing a cow can do to smiling. Then she mooed really loud. Edward jumped back and Sally nudged him with her mouth. He continued to pet her, and he became so relaxed it was as if he were a different person.

"So what do you normally do for fun?"

What did I do for fun? "Well, I sometimes hang out with my friend Jake, he wants to marry me, but I told him no because I didn't love him. My dad likes him, but he respects my decision all the same. He married for love and wants me to do the same, even though his heart was shattered by my mom."

"Wow. What happened?"

"She left, found a man with more money and took off."

"I'm so sorry, you must hate her for it."

"No. She just thought the same way most people do. Dad is really the outcast of society he tried to get a woman who was better than him to marry him just because he loved her. It wasn't right."

"You don't believe in the power of Love?"

"No, there is no such thing everyone knows that."

"Then why are you here?" I don't know. Maybe I do, but still.

"I am my father's daughter." That was all I could say, come on!

"Yeah, well that's good." Edward's smile literally took my breath away.

The conversation lulled and picked up, and time passed. I can't say how much. I couldn't tell there were no visible markers. I was afraid. Afraid that I was going to waste my life away in here, but then I realized I probably wouldn't age. I would just be wasting my friends' lives away.

"Edward, we need to get out of here. Soon!"

"Bella, I don't know how. Well, I do, but I can't be sure it would work, and I can't risk losing you."

"But my friends, my dad. They are all going to get old, and I am going to stay here with you in this unholy ring of fire."

"I don't know what to say." He was looking at his feet as if he were truly disappointed in himself. I decided to take the initiative. I took three large steps from where I was to him, and I lifted his head, and suddenly our lips met.

There was fire. It was unlike anything I had felt before. I jumped back, as did Edward. There was heat and passion and everything I had ever yearned for. All in that one kiss, but I was afraid it would consume me. It was too much.

"I-I am s-so sorry."

Edward opened his mouth to talk, but suddenly he started to look as if he were going to cry. I couldn't understand. When he looked up at me again I realized he was laughing. I still couldn't figure him out, but soon his hysterical chuckles and broke through, and I caught whatever had made him laugh so hard. It was a few minutes before either of us had caught our breaths.

"What happened?" I managed to breathe out.

"You are it. I should have seen it sooner. I guess I knew it, but to have it confirmed so readily." It was like he was talking to himself not to me.

"Edward? What?"

"You are the key. You always have been. I am supposed to feel passion hotter than any fire. God Bella its you."

He took a step towards me, and the look in his eye was predatory. As his lips met mine I couldn't think, but I felt the fire again. It was different this time I had more time to examine it, it was almost as if I was absorbing the fire, as if I were taking it from somewhere. Then, our lips broke apart.

We were both panting. It had been fantastic. I looked up and for just a fleeting moment I had seen blue, not orange and red, but blue.

"Edward? Did you see that?" He was still looking at me though.

"What Bella, did I see what?"

"Blue. Sky. I saw it." I was so shocked the little time I had spent in here made me fear I would never see the sky again.

I couldn't help thinking that maybe I had been dreaming maybe I was wrong, but then I realized that I had been absorbing the Flame. I had become stronger somehow. I was right.

"Bella is it possible? Could you have seen the sky? I haven't seen the sky for so long I have almost forgotten the color of it. I assume the sky is red light the ceiling of this wretched Flame."

It was devastating to hear the pain in Edward's voice, for as long as I had been there Edward had been stuck for centuries and it was my job to get him out. I was going to give him the sky.


End file.
